Whip stock anchor



. E. K. LANE June 7, 1938.

WHIP STOCK ANCHOR Filed Feb. 1Q, 1956 n :1,3. w v .N 1 4'..xn` w ml/1.

STATES PATENT OFFICE WHIP STOCK ANCHOR Edward K. ALane, Houston, Tex. Application February' 10, 1936, Serial No. 63,084

6 Claims. (Cl. Z55-1) 'I'hr` invention relates' to a whipstock which is composed of cementitious material and which can be properly located in the well bore so as to cause deflection of the drill in the bore as -the well is drilled.

It is one ofthe objects of the invention to provide a whipstock made of cementitious material vwhich 'can be readily drilled away but which can be located in position in the well bore.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-anchoring whipstock which can be landed in position and anchored so as to cause deflection of the bit in the desired direction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a whipstock which will move readily through the well bore but which can be enlarged so as to anchor it against rotation at the desired elevation in the well.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a whipstock having a plurality of depressions in the upper surface thereof to receive. the drill bit so that the bit will be deflected in the desired direction.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with certain parts broken away and illustrating one form of a cement whipstock.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the whipstock show# ing the depression to eiect deflection of the bit.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation with 'certain parts in section of another form of the whipstock in anchored position in the well bore.

Fig. 4 shows the Fig.` 3 form of the whipstock before it has been anchored.`

Fig. 5 is a section taken through the anchoring device of the Fig. 3 form of the invention.

Fig. 6 Vis a sectional view through the anchoring device but illustrating a modified form which will prevent rotation of the whipstock. y The whipstock includes a body portion 2, which in Fig. 1 is illustrated as comprising a lower guide and orienting portion 3 and the upper portion 4. These bodies are formed separately and as seen in Fig. 1 the guide portion 2 is preferably made of metal and will be of any desired diameter but is preferably formed with an inclined face 6 which extends across a major, portion of the body and terminates in a rounded nose 'I which merges with the strength side 8 of the body. 'This inclined or beveled face 6 is so arranged that as the whipstock .moves downwardly through the liquid in the well it will be acted upon by said liquid in the inclined portion of the well bore and said liquid will tend to turnrthe whipstock so that the beveled face 6 slides along the lower side 9 of the well bore where it is inclined so as to orient the whipstock. It is found by actual use that the conformation of the beveled end passing through the liquid in an inclined bore causes the whipstock to orient itself with the nose 'I toward the upper side of the bore. AThe upper portion of this body 2 is formed with a flat beveled face I0 which tapers to a thin edge at I I which is the upper end of the guide or orienting portion of the body.

It will be observed from viewing Fig. 1 that the center of gravity of this guidev portion 3 is to the right of the center line thereof 'and ,that if the whipstock is sliding alongan inclined well bore l that ,the whipstock will tend to takethe position shown in Fig.- 1, with the edge I3 of the guide portion against the lower side 9 of the well bore. l

'I'he upper portion 4 of the body is preferably made of cementitious material and cylindrical throughout its length except for the beveledr face I5 on the lower side thereof. This beveled face I5 is arranged to engage with the beveled face I0 of the guide portion 3 and suitable shear pins orr dowels I6 are arranged to project into both of the` faces I0 and I5 so that the two bodies 3 and 4 will be maintained in alignment.

In Fig. 1 the pins or dowels I6 have been sheared and there has been a hsliding action of the part 4 with respect to the part 3, and it will be observed that the portion of the dowels I6- in the body portion 4 have moved downwardly after they were sheared. It was the shearing of these vdowels which permitted the setting of the whipstockfin position, and it will be seen that the body portion 4 is now olf-set laterally in the well bore relative to the guide portion 3. 'I'his sliding action tends to wedge the body portion 4 against one side of the well bore and the guide or orienting portion 3 against the opposite side of the well bore, so that the whipstock is lodged firmly in position.

The body portion 4 is made of cementitious material of any suitable nature so that it may be readily drilled away by the drill bit such as 20. To facilitate the starting of this drilling operation the upper end 2| of the whipstock is formed with a plurality of depressions 22. These depressions are best seen in Fig. 2 and as illustrated are four in number. When the whipstock is properly oriented by virtue of the Weighted portion 3 then one of the depressions 22 will.be on the lower side of the hole so that when the pilot portion 24 of the bit is lowered into the well it will engage in one of these depressions to start the drilling operation in'alignment with the vertical portion 25 of the well bore.

In thismanner one corner of the upper end of the whipstock will be drilled away and as seen in Fig. l the well bore will continue in a vertical direction and the diversion previously started will in this manner-be avoided.

Fig. 2 shows a form of the invention quite similar to that previously described except that the lower guide portion is also made of oementitious material and is formed with oppositely tapered beveled faces 3i and 32 on the upper end thereof.

The upper body portion 32 is also formed of cementitious material and is also provided with convergingtapered faces 33 and 34. Disposed between the faces 3l and 33 is an anchor member or jaw 35. 'I'his jaw is arranged to normally rest in the position shown in Fig. 4 with the upper end 36 thereof dove-tailed by-a groove to the tongue 36 which is formed on the face 33. In this manner the jaw will be suspended from the tongue 36, but may have some radial movement upon relative longitudinal movement between the body portions 30 and 32.

As seen in Fig. 3 the jaw 35 has moved outwardly to engage the face 38 of the well bore. A f

similar jaw 39 is provided on the opposite side between the two body members and is similarly attached.

The lower body portion 30 is provided with a sleeve 40 which is 'anchored thereon and which carriesa shear pin 4|. This pin also passes through a locking rod 42 which is anchored at 43 inthe upper body portion 32. This pin 4I tends to space the body portions 30 ,and 32 apart as seen inlig. 4, so that the jaws vcannot be set.

lWhen the device is lowered into the well bore the guide portion 30 will contact either the bottom of the well bore or a suitable obstruction which has been positioned in the well at the desired elevation so that the further movement thereof is restrained. When this occurs the pin 4I will be sheared and the body portion 32 will continue its movement to assume the position shown in Fig. 3. This moves the jaws 35 and 39 outwardly to anchor the whipstock ilrmly in position. 'I'he upper end of this whipstock in the Fig. 3 form also carries the depressions 22 to direct the pilot bit 24 in the desired direction.

Fig. 6 shows a slightly modiiied form of the invention wherein one of the anchoring jaws such as 45 is shown as having circumferential teeth thereon which anchor the dogs against vertical movement. I'he oppositevjaw 41, however, may have vertical teeth 48 thereon so as to anchor it against the well bore against rotation. When the whipstock is equipped with jaws of this type it seems obvious that it will be anchored against both vertical and rotational movement.

It is to be understood that the whipstock may be dropped into the well bore 'and fall by gravity to the position shown in either Fig. 1 or Fig. 3, or it may be lowered by any suitable device.

What is claimed is:-

l. Whipstock for wells comprising a body of friable material which may be drilled away, a plurality of deiiecting recesses in its upper end, anchor means on said body to lodge the whipstock in a well bore, and releasable means whereby said anchor is held inoperative.

2. A whipstock made up of top and bottom portions, a wedge shaped end on each of said porltions, anchor members disposed between said ends, a dovetailed slidable connection between said portions and said members, and arranged to move radially outward when said portions move' toward each other. A

3. A whipstock made up of top and bottom portions, a wedge shaped end on each of said portions, anchormembersdisposedbetween said ends, means on said ends interengaging slidably with said members to hold said members in place, and arranged to move radially outward when said portions move toward each other, and releasable means to space said portions apart and to thereby hold said members inoperative.

4. A whipstock including a guide portion, a wedge shaped upper end thereon, a body portion, a lower wedge shaped end thereon, and releasable means Y connecting said portions and spacing said ends apart, well bore engaging mem.- bers disposed between said portions slidably interengaged with said wedge shaped ends, and adapted to be moved outwardly upon release of said means by said wedge shaped ends, said portions being formed of friable material.

5. A whipstock comprising a cylindrical body of cementltious material adapted to be dropped into the well and which is free to rotate, the lower end of which is tapered to one side of the axial center of said body, the forward end being streamlined, and a deflecting surface at the upper end of said body, having a plurality of shallow vde ecting recesses into which a drill may engage to cut said whipstock and be deflected from the axial direction of the bore hole.

6. A whipstock of friable material which may be easily cut by a drill,v means to anchor said whipstock in a well, said whipstock having its upper end cut on a diametrical plane and with a plurality of shallow radially extending deflecting notches therein, whereby a drill may engage one of said notches and cut said whipstock in an iiiclined direction.

- EDWARD K. LANE. 

